


Doctor's Log

by Rose_Gold_Goddess (LarasLandlockedBlues)



Category: Stardew Valley (Video Game)
Genre: Awkward Flirting, Bisexual Male Character, Bisexual Panic, Bisexuality, Denial of Feelings, Dorks in Love, Eventual Happy Ending, Eventual Relationships, Eventual Romance, Eventual Smut, Falling In Love, Feelings Realization, First Kiss, Fluff, Getting to Know Each Other, I just wanted to write some tooth rotting fluff, M/M, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, POV Harvey (Stardew Valley), Pansexual Character, Pining, Rating May Change, Self Confidence Issues, Snippet FIc, and Harvey is the cutest shy bean, very briefly
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-06-20
Updated: 2020-02-12
Packaged: 2020-05-15 04:37:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 8,674
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19288291
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LarasLandlockedBlues/pseuds/Rose_Gold_Goddess
Summary: All he knew was that he was definitely, incredibly, no-doubt-about-it terrified of the man before him.The new arrival in town turns Harvey's comfortable routine on its head, but he convinces himself he has to be the only one to feel this way....Right?





	1. Spring 1

**Author's Note:**

> I have writer's block and wanted to write some fluff so here it is. This fic will be pure fun for me, when I feel like writing it, because I've been playing a ton of SDV and Harvey is so sweet in a marriage I just had to write out some happy, fluffy feelings for he and my farmer Freddy.

Harvey liked the peace and quiet of Pelican Town. He didn't mind that it was so small, or that the most exciting thing that happened was the annual Dance of the Moonlight Jellies. It was a tranquil valley, and tranquility was what had brought him here. After all, he wasn't the most exciting guy alive, and so the sleepy town was a perfect fit.

It didn't bother him that he had a tiny apartment above the clinic he ran. Or that his days were spent trying to wrangle the town’s residents into caring about their health as much as he did. His daily interactions were strictly professional, dealing with patients before retiring for the evening, exhausted and only able to microwave a frozen dinner in spite of the advice he passed on to everyone else. Even his never acted upon one-sided attraction to Maru was likely due to proximity more than anything else. But she was young, and worked for him, and so he merely enjoyed the downtime they had some days when she told him about her latest invention. All it did was break up the monotony with a different kind of familiarity.

Such was his lot in life, and he had accepted it with a placid sort of regret that some things were outside of his reach.

It was why, when he woke up the first of Spring and noticed Mayor Lewis rushing past his window with an unusual amount of gusto that he found unfamiliar curiosity blossom inside him. When was the last time anything exciting had happened? Unless he counted the Governor's visit each summer, and that hardly counted as thrilling to Harvey at this point. It happened the same day every year, just part of the valley's routine.

The whole morning Harvey worked behind the counter of his clinic, filling out medical reports and hoping someone would stop by to purchase something but knowing the likelihood was nonexistent. He was distracted by the way residents of the town kept passing by outside, occasionally in pairs and talking animatedly. It was bothersome, and created an anxiety in Harvey's chest that he couldn't explain. The routine of the town was soothing to him, and its disruption was enough to set him on edge.

Deciding to stick with comfortable monotony, he closed the shop up at 3P.M. sharp, as he always did. And since it was Monday, and the weather was pleasant after the dreariness of Winter, he locked up and began his stroll around the Town Square. He took the same route, feet moving automatically along the familiar stones and grass as he nodded polite greetings to the residents he passed. As always, he refrained from stopping to speak with them, just continuing on his way in search of some much needed, self-prescribed exercise. There was still the persistent buzz in everyone else’s demeanor of excitement, but he decided it was the change of seasons and warmth in the air, and stopped along the fence to breathe it in himself.

“Excuse me!”

The deep, jovial voice was like a shock to his senses, and he realized he had no idea who it belonged to. Turning toward it, he stood rooted to the spot as his eyes tried to adjust to the sight rapidly approaching him. A tall, athletically built man was walking the path behind him, waving a hand before he placed it casually in his pocket. His auburn hair was glinting in the late afternoon sun; in fact as he stopped before Harvey his white teeth were as well, every bit of him radiating the heat and sparkle of the new spring. This close up, his eyes were a bright, vibrant sea green that held life and pure joy in them - the very opposite of the daily monotony Harvey had gotten used to.

All he knew was that he was definitely, incredibly, no-doubt-about-it terrified of the man before him.

“Hi, sorry to interrupt your peace and quiet,” the man continued, still smiling charmingly. “I’m new in town, thought I’d introduce myself since I was passing by. Such a small place, we’re bound to run into one another. No point in being strangers.”

Harvey took several moments to process what the stranger had said, but before he could think through the fact that someone new had moved to Pelican Town the man held out one large, tanned hand.

“I’m Freddy, my grandfather owned Hidden Grove Farm. I just moved in today to take it over.”

The handshake was firm, and Harvey hoped the trembling in his hand and the sweatiness of his palm went unnoticed. Somehow everything about the look of Freddy made Harvey think he’d speak with a Southern drawl, yet he had a crisp, clean voice that spoke of the city and higher education. What a man like this was doing taking over a ramshackle farm in a small town on the coast, Harvey couldn’t even begin to guess.

“I’m - H-Harvey, the town doctor,” he finally said, realizing the other man was politely waiting for his introduction. “I run a small clinic next to the General Store.”

“Oh excellent! That means I won’t be on my own when I stumble into some poison oak or whatever else is waiting for me in the forests of the farm.” The laugh that accompanied the jest was hearty, full-bodied, as if the idea of stumbling into poison oak on the farm was positively delightful to imagine. “Well, I’m sure I interrupted some important, deep thoughts, so I’ll let you get back to it, Doctor. It was nice to meet you, hopefully we’ll see a lot of each other.”

And with one more flash of straight, gleaming teeth, Freddy turned back into the Town Square to continue on his way.

Harvey stood staring after him, finally able to breathe again as he mused over how the spring felt like a new beginning for the first time in years.


	2. Coffee

Everywhere the newcomer went, he was surrounded by smiles and hearty greetings.

At the clinic, too, the farmer seemed to be the topic of everyone’s conversation. Maru could often be heard chatting with the patients in the waiting room, and despite himself Harvey listened in the best he could whenever the farmer was the topic of conversation.

“I heard Robin was building him a coop. She said the farm looked better than she’s ever seen it. He’s really cleaned up the place.”

“Does the man ever take a break?”

“He seems to love the work, although I’ve seen him pop by town frequently.”

“Always eager to lend a helping hand. Why, the other day he helped me with my gardening in the town square. Such a lovely young man. I passed him along some cookies, and he was -”

“I’m sure the doctor isn’t interested, Evelyn,” George harrumphed, glaring at the tongue depressor in Harvey’s hand.

Evelyn tittered and shook her head, waving a hand dismissively. “Oh George, even you said the young man’s got potential. I saw you two chatting at the Luau. Such a handsome smile, too.”

But again George just harrumphed as Harvey continued his examination. He did his best to focus on his patient, though his mind wandered. Evelyn was right - always smiling, greeting everyone he saw with a wave and a few words to see how they were doing. Whenever he caught Harvey on one of his walks he made certain to stop and say hello, and ask how things were going at the clinic.

To Harvey’s dismay, it always just left him flustered.

Even at his exercise class, the women around him spent their time before and after class gossipping about the farmer. Jodi particularly seemed interested in his comings and goings, and often passed along what he told her about the farm.

“It must be lonely out there all by himself,” Caroline mused one day as they all stretched before class.

“I actually asked the other day if he had a missus or someone special, that maybe they would join him at some point,” Jodi informed the class, nodding when she noticed the eager eyes upon her. “But - well, he said he hadn’t found the right  _ person _ yet and then he just winked. He didn’t seem bothered at all that he’s out there all on his own.” 

_ The right - person? _

The phrasing caught Harvey’s attention, piquing his curiosity, but before he could even begin to think how to ask her about it the class began. By the time it was over he was too exhausted to think, and headed back to his clinic on shaky legs.

That evening Harvey sat in front of his radio, fiddling with it as he sometimes did before retiring for the night. It was soothing to him, even though he rarely actually picked anything up from their remote location.

Until he heard a few quick raps, and he frowned, holding his headset over his ears as he tried to decipher it. There it was again, only louder this time. It wasn’t in a pattern, like morse code, he didn’t think...

And then he realized it was someone knocking on the front door of the clinic.

Hopping up he hurried downstairs, worried that it might be an emergency - and he couldn’t remember the last time there had been one.

Standing at the front door of the clinic was a large, bulky shadow, but it was revealed to be Linus, the man who lived up in the mountains, and slumped over his shoulder was -

“Freddy!” Harvey gasped, surprised to see the farmer limp and half-conscious, only supported by Linus. “What happened to him?”

“The mine,” Linus supplied in a grunt. He tightened his hold on Freddy, dragging him across the threshold when Harvey stood back to let them in. “Think he hit his head.”

Harvey quickly guided the pair to the triage, turning on lights as he went. He helped Linus lift the larger man onto one of the beds, taking note of a bump on his forehead as he did. Once he was situated, his rescuer lingered for a moment, shifting uncomfortably on his feet, and then he gave a terse nod.

Before Harvey could ask how he had found him or any of the other questions racing across his mind, Linus turned and hurried out of the clinic.

With a frown Harvey returned his attention to his patient, quickly assessing his condition and applying a compress to his head. Besides a few other bruises, the lump forming on his head seemed to be the only major injury. Otherwise, he looked to be in perfect health.

He hadn’t been this close to the farmer before, and he noticed a splash of freckles across his sharp nose and prominent cheekbones, his skin tanner than it had been when he had arrived. It appeared he was growing a beard as well, dark chestnut hair covering the lower half of his face and leading to where it was carefully groomed along his neck.

There was a hint of smile lines around his eyes, and Harvey figured he must be in his thirties. Farm work seemed to agree with him, as he was even broader and stronger looking than when they had first met. He must have been an athlete; Harvey could picture him as the star player of any team, especially considering his eager, outgoing nature that spoke of comfort with people and popularity.

In other words, the complete opposite of him.

With a groan, Freddy’s face contorted into a grimace and he slowly began to blink his eyes open. When he had he closed them shut quickly, holding a hand up to block the light before he tried again. For a moment he looked around, and then his gaze settled on Harvey.

“D-Doc?” he murmured. “How’d I - how’d you get in the mines?”

“You’re in my clinic,” Harvey answered. “You hit your head, do you remember what happened?”

Freddy thought for a moment and then chuckled. “I remember fighting off some of those green slimes, and then - I slipped in some. Must have hit my head on one of the rocks nearby.”

“You’re lucky it wasn’t worse,” Harvey told him, eyebrows raising. “That could have been fatal! What were you thinking, going by yourself into the mines?”

Freddy gave a slight shrug but grimaced once more at the movement. “Felt like exploring,” he answered simply. “How’d I get here?”

“Linus - the man from the mountains - he brought you.” Harvey frowned as Freddy began to push himself up on the bed. “You should rest -”

“I’m fine,” Freddy assured him with a weak smile. “Say, is my pack here - ah, there it is.”

Slowly he pushed himself to his feet and crossed to where his pack had been set at the foot of the bed. He dug through it for a moment, and then heaved a sigh.

“Something missing?” Harvey asked.

“A few things, looks like,” Freddy lamented. “I’d found a few things I wanted to show to Gunther, thought maybe he could tell me what they were. Oh, and the cookies my mom sent me. What a shame…”

“Maybe Linus -”

“No, he wouldn’t hurt a fly,” Freddy denied firmly. “He’s not so bad, once you start to get to know him. They must have fallen out when I slipped.”

He packed up the sturdy backpack once more before he slung it over his shoulder. “Oh well, at least I’m in one piece.” With a few barks of laughter he turned to Harvey and smiled brightly. “Thanks for patching me up, Doc.”

“You really should rest,” Harvey pointed out. “And here, take these for the pain. You’re sure to have a headache tomorrow.”

“Thanks,” Freddy said, and he accepted the medicine from Harvey.

“Be more careful in the future,” Harvey advised, unable to resist the reminder. After all, if Linus hadn’t managed to find him, who knew what would have happened to him.

“I appreciate it, really,” Freddy said, and with yet another bright smile he clapped Harvey on the shoulder. “Get some rest, Doc.”

Harvey watched as he strode from the clinic, walking with his usual confident ease as he turned to head back to his farm. Shaking his head as he again marveled at just how intimidating the man was, Harvey closed up the clinic once more and headed off to bed.

The next morning he found himself yawning as he read medical journals at the counter, the clinic quiet and uneventful now. Just another, routine day - so much so that he occasionally wondered if he really had tended to an emergency the previous evening.

When the bell above the door rang he glanced up, expecting perhaps to see Mayor Lewis or Maru. Instead Freddy walked in, beaming and holding two thermoses in his hands.

“Freddy, g - good to see you up and about,” Harvey greeted. “How are you feeling?”

“Excellent, Doc,” Freddy replied, and he stopped before the counter and set one of the thermoses down. “I wanted to bring you a little thank you for last night - and I suppose a pick-me-up, since I’m sure I kept you up too late.”

“Oh, you didn’t - there’s really no - it’s my duty,” Harvey stuttered out. When the other man continued to smile and wait patiently for Harvey to pick up the thermos, he reached for it and almost knocked it over in his nervousness. He caught it and lifted it, averting his gaze as he sniffed curiously at the opening. “Is this - coffee?”

The rich, nutty aroma filled his senses, immediately working to remove the cobwebs from his mind.

“It is,” Freddy answered. “I didn’t know how you take it, so it’s just black, but if you’d like I can -”

“Black is perfect,” Harvey assured him. “Coffee is one of my favorite things, it’s like you read my mind.”

An eager gleam came into Freddy’s eyes and he chuckled. “I’ll have to remember that. I’m glad to find another coffee lover, I was worried maybe you preferred tea.” He leaned casually against the counter as he took a sip from his thermos, sighing contentedly afterwards.

“Well, coffee in moderation is supposed to be healthy for you. I’ve ready many studies saying a cup or two a day is beneficial,” Harvey told him. He blew on the steaming brew before he took a careful sip, but it was the perfect temperature. “It’s delicious. Did you get this from Gus?”

“No, actually. I managed to grow a coffee plant from a seed I found,” Freddy answered with a dazzling smile. “I’ve never tasted coffee so wonderful. Then again, I feel like everything here in the valley tastes and looks better than anywhere else. It’s curious, but really I shouldn’t complain.”

“No, I suppose not, considering your profession,” Harvey agreed, and he joined Freddy’s laughter with only a small amount of hesitancy. The coffee and the farmer’s continual joviality worked to put him at ease, until he felt far more relaxed than he had before in the man’s presence.

“It’s been a nice change of pace. I’d gotten so used to drab and monotonous city life, just white offices and grey buildings, fluorescent lights everywhere,” Freddy muttered, and he waved a hand as he frowned. “I wasn’t sure if I’d miss it, but I can honestly say this was the best decision I ever made.”

“I feel similarly,” Harvey mused. Immediately he felt himself flush. “I mean - about coming here myself, not about you coming here. I - I just mean - it’s nice. Here.”

As he stuttered out his correction Freddy merely stood smiling, listening intently, as if he actually wanted to hear more. Sure enough he took a sip of coffee before asking Harvey more about his time in Pelican Town, and his gaze never wavered, he never looked bored as he listened to Harvey’s rambling answers.

Whether it was the coffee or engaging conversation with such an attentive listener, he wasn’t certain. But he decided to blame the coffee for why he felt more invigorated than he had in years, thinking it best to ignore the way Freddy’s smile made him feel alive.


	3. Spirit's Eve

To be quite honest with himself, he wasn’t certain why he still attended the festival each year. All it did was give him intestinal pains, and he spent most of it hiding in a corner, hoping no one saw him.

He was a coward.

He wasn’t certain if it was the tall hedges casting shadows or the decorations, or the cage of skeletons that waited outside the maze that had him quite so terrified and anxious. But he had found a corner at the very start of the maze, and he intended to stay there until it was over. Even though he was almost more terrified that someone would find him here, and know just what a coward he was.

Harvey almost thought he had made it, that he had managed to avoid anyone really paying him any mind in the maze, but he should have known it was too much to ask. Always smiling and overeager to see everyone; he should have expected the farmer to find him.

Freddy looked around the dead end just inside the maze, and for a split second Harvey thought perhaps he would simply continue on.  Then he took a few steps forward, a friendly frown on his face, and he chuckled.

“Harvey? You doing all right?” Freddy asked, his hands on his hips as he surveyed where they stood. His jeans were unusually clean, free of the dirt that normally marked his knees and shins from his work. The flannel shirt he wore was wrinkle free as well, the sleeves rolled up to his elbows, leaving his tanned, muscular forearms bear. A hint of a tattoo peeked out from beneath the dark green and brown flannel, but it wasn’t clear what it was.

Harvey gulped as he stared up at the other man, trying to find his voice. He worried it would come out as a squeak, that his cowardice would show itself so blatantly. Finally after swallowing he hoped his voice would be steady as he answered. “Oh! You - you found me.” He pulled at his jacket and avoided Freddy’s piercing green gaze. “The truth is I got too scared so I came here to hide. Please don’t tell anyone…”

He chanced a glance up at Freddy, only to find a kind smile on the other man’s face.

“Why would I tell anyone?” he asked, and then chuckled softly again. “They did a wonderful job with the decorations. I think those skeletons are actually from the mines, made me wish I’d brought my sword when I first saw them…”

The tight feeling in Harvey’s chest relaxed ever so slightly at the gentle attempts at reassurance from the farmer. But his cheeks still felt hot, and he looked toward one of the hedges instead.

“How about this - do you want to accompany me through the maze?” Freddy asked. “Maybe it’ll be easier if it’s both of us. And I promise, no laughing or judgment if you can’t go further.”

Strangely, the offer was welcome to Harvey. The idea of walking the maze with Freddy wasn’t so daunting, besides the fact that he now worried over saying something ridiculous or frightening easily as they continued on. Maybe Freddy would understand, maybe his strength would lend Harvey courage to face the rest of the maze as well….

“I don’t know,” he murmured, tugging at the collar of his shirt.

“I promise, it could be fun,” Freddy assured him.

“All - all right,” Harvey agreed, nodding his head resolutely. He swallowed hard, hoping Freddy didn’t notice his lingering hesitation.

Perhaps by now it was unsurprising that Freddy merely smiled brightly and gestured a hand for Harvey to join him back on the main path of the maze. Over the last few seasons he had come to find that Freddy was warm, always happy and seemingly unafraid of anything. It had been a surprise to him when the farmer’s heart had raced when he had come in for his check up, but Freddy had sat straight and declared it had to be from working at the farm earlier that day.

Never mind the fact that his cheeks had pinkened ever so slightly, although Harvey had decided that had to be due to overexertion as well.

Freddy always seemed so confident in the face of everything, and before he could stop himself Harvey glanced his way and cleared his throat.

“So are you - are you really not scared of anything?” As he asked it he thought of the time Freddy had caught him after his exercise class in the side room of Pierre’s shop, and how after that every time he had been scared Freddy would catch him in the act of working out. He thought too of how many years now he had hid during the Spirit's Eve Festival, how often he had avoided conversation with the other townsfolk because he was worried he might say the wrong thing, or offend them somehow.

He wasn’t entirely surprised when Freddy laughed in response to the question. The farmer put his hands in his pockets, considering as he led Harvey along a hedge-lined path.

“You just seem so fearless, I - I had to ask,” Harvey added, feeling his cheeks heat again at the man’s laughter.

“Oh, I’m sorry, I’m not laughing at you, I just - I suppose you’re right, I seem like I’m not scared,” Freddy answered finally. He chuckled some more under his breath as he looked at their surroundings, stopping a few inches from hands that were reaching and writhing out of the ground.

“So you are scared of _something_ at least?” Harvey squeaked, sidestepping so that Freddy was blocking him from the disembodied hands.

“Well, I suppose - I’m scared of boredom. Of things remaining the same, just - dull,” Freddy said, shrugging. He reached for Harvey’s hand, and took it reassuringly in his large, warm, work-roughened fingers. Leading the way forward, weaving his way through the grabbing hands, he glanced back at Harvey and smiled. “The job I had - I was working for a big corporation. I’d just gotten a promotion, I was moving up, but I was - miserable, to be honest. Every day was the same, nothing changed, nothing was challenging. I didn’t feel fulfilled, I felt - hollow. Finding the letter my grandfather left me was the best thing that ever happened to me.”

Harvey watched, transfixed, as Freddy smiled and led him to the center of the maze. He was surprised to find that he hadn’t been paying attention to the terrors along the paths; instead, he looked about the fountain, noticing Abigail standing on the other side with her arms folded, scuffing her toe in the dirt. Otherwise, they were alone.

“So - boredom? That’s really all you’re afraid of?” Harvey asked, trying to shake the way he wanted to simply stare at Freddy in awe.

“Well, that and bees,” Freddy answered. He gestured to the most obvious path from the center of the maze, but Harvey stayed rooted to the spot.

“Surely - surely you’re joking,” he said. “You’re a farmer. You must be pulling my leg.”

Freddy laughed, a deep belly laugh that shook his whole frame. “No, I’m actually being serious,” he insisted, and his fingers lightly squeezed where he held Harvey’s hand. “I thought perhaps I could overcome it. I grew some poppies and tried to harvest the honey but…” Freddy trailed off and then laughed at himself. “That was wishful thinking. I’m still terrified of bees, so - there go my dreams of cultivating honey on the farm.”

Harvey stared at him for a moment, almost lost in the shock of his confession. Something so simple, almost innocuous, and yet apparently he was terrified of them. It made Harvey feel just a tiny bit better.

With the knowledge that the tall, capable farmer beside him was just as irrationally afraid sometimes, Harvey found the rest of the maze easy to tackle. Freddy continued to lead him through it, pointing out the quality of the decorations and marveling at how they were achieved. Doing his best to accept the tour, Harvey tried to put on a brave face and followed Freddy further into the maze.

When they reached their destination and opened the chest to find a golden pumpkin, Harvey’s eyes widened.

“I never thought _I’d_ be the one to find this,” Harvey said, staring at the prize.

“You just needed to find your inner strength,” Freddy assured him. He smiled brightly as he tucked the pumpkin under one arm, and gestured for Harvey to precede him out of the maze.

For the first time since he’d moved to Pelican Town, Harvey was glad he’d come out for the Spirit’s Eve Festival, and found he’d actually had fun thanks to Freddy.


	4. The Best Gift

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello!
> 
> Just a quick note to point out that this fic is now merged under my main Ao3, so I apologize for any confusion this may cause! I originally started this on a secondary account for personal reasons, but I've now moved all of the fics under Rose_Gold_Goddess to be here, so either welcome or welcome back to this fic!
> 
> And we now continue our regularly scheduled tooth-rotting fluff.
> 
> xx

Harvey couldn’t tell when he saw him if he’d been searching the crowd for him intentionally or if that was just how his mind wandered. Whatever his reason for searching out Freddy over the feast, it disappeared the instant he saw the red plaid hunter’s cap resting atop auburn waves.

All thought fled, leaving only the way his cheeks heated despite the frigid air and the soft murmur of _oh no…_ that passed his lips unbidden.

He wanted to blame the feeling on embarrassment from the recollection of their last encounter. Since the farmer had found him in the middle of fiddling with his radio he wasn’t certain if he had just been busier than normal with patients or if he had actively been doing his best to avoid him.

The sudden appearance of an apologetic Freddy right after he had actually made contact with a pilot had been surprising, and in his flustered state he had only been able to ramble about his hobby and failed dreams. Trying to explain it away, doing his best to position himself so that his model airplane collection was hidden from view, he’d watched as Freddy tentatively examined the equipment.

And then a wide smile had broken across the farmer’s face, a look of wonder and pure joy all that greeted Harvey when he looked up.

“This is one of the coolest things I’ve seen in ages,” Freddy had told him. “Can you — can you show me how it works?”

The genuine interest the farmer had shown had left him flustered, so that he didn’t know what he would say the next time they ran into one another. He hadn’t thought that ‘the next time’ would be now, at the Feast of the Winter Star, wearing his usual sunshine grin and a hunter’s cap that looked absolutely perfect on him.

Burying his face over the mug of coffee he cradled between two hands, Harvey tried not to think about how now the smell of coffee reminded him of all the mornings Freddy had brought him a thermos of freshly made coffee from his farm. How Freddy leaned on the counter and talked with him while they sipped at it, the way he listened attentively even when Harvey lost himself in rambles about the latest medical journal open before him —

“Harvey! Hey, good to see you, happy holidays!”

Turning slowly in place, mug still cradled from how he had been blowing on it, Harvey met Freddy’s greeting with wide eyes. He felt caught, even though he knew his anxiety that Freddy could read his mind was ridiculous.

“H-hello, Freddy. Happy holidays,” he said, smiling tentatively. 

Freddy stopped beside him, setting two wrapped presents down on the table they stood before. He placed his hands on his hips and looked around, still grinning. “The decorations are great, don’t you think?”

Harvey nodded and sipped at his coffee in an attempt to steady his nerves, but only succeeded in burning the tip of his tongue. Grimacing he looked at the towering tree in the center of the square, hoping Freddy hadn’t noticed his pained grimace.

“Yeah they’re always great,” he agreed after he’d shaken off the stinging.

A moment passed in which he tried to think what he could say, his heart racing as he noticed the slight warmth he could feel against his arm from how close Freddy was standing. The tan coat lined and collared with fleece had become a fixture for the farmer once the cold weather had set in, although the green cable knit sweater beneath it seemed as much an attempt to be festive as it was to stay warm.

And still the red plaid hunter’s cap, flaps resting comfortably over his ears, clashed with the auburn waves peeking out beneath the bill in a way that had to be intentional. Just as with everything about the farmer, there was a jaunty confidence in the way he wore the hat, and Harvey couldn’t help but feel a smile tug at his lips every time he glanced aside and caught sight of it.

“Did we already do presents? I was running a bit late,” Freddy mentioned, glancing around.

“Oh, presents are — are whenever,” Harvey told him. He resisted looking behind him at the wrapped presents, fighting the curiosity of who his secret gift recipient was. Shaking the way his heart skipped at the possibility that it could be him, he blew on his coffee again as he tried to think of something to say.

“Um, I —”

“Hang on, do you mind — I just saw George,” Freddy said. He picked up the smaller wrapped box that he had been carrying, and with an apologetic smile at Harvey hurried toward where George sat at the head of one of the tables.

Harvey watched as Freddy handed over the small gift, smiling brightly as he revealed himself as his gift giver and encouraged George to open it. The jar of bright red jelly brought a laugh to the usually grumpy man, and he held a hand out, which Freddy heartily clasped between both of his.

“Happy holidays, George!” he called over his shoulder with a wave, after they had finished a short conversation. He put his hands in his pockets and returned to Harvey’s side, still smiling to himself.

At Harvey’s slight frown he chuckled and gestured at where George sat. “Made him some hot pepper preserves. He’d put up a notice on the board for some a while back, said it helps with his knee.”

“Oh, yes, it — he mentioned that to me,” Harvey agreed, nodding appreciatively as he met Freddy’s bright gaze.

“So he — he was your —”

“Yeah,” Freddy answered the stumbling question.

Harvey nodded again, still clinging to the coffee in his hands as if it was a lifeline. Several moments of silence passed before he looked to the side again, and before he could stop himself he smiled. “I like your hat,” he blurted out.

“Oh, thanks. I bought it from a mouse,” Freddy told him, as if that was the most normal statement in the world. He reached up to the bill of the hat and adjusted it with a wiggle, and then smiled at Harvey.

“You — a mouse?” Harvey managed to get out.

“Yeah, there’s a mouse in the forest who sells hats. My ears had been getting cold, so I decided to get one.”

Deciding to simply accept the explanation, Harvey looked back to the tree before them, once more at a loss of anything to say. Freddy cleared his throat and reached behind him, taking the other wrapped present off the table and fluffing the ribbon tied in a neat bow.

“Um, I know — it didn’t seem traditional to give gifts except to your secret recipient, but I, uh,” Freddy began, for once seeming hesitant as he considered the gift he held. “Well, you know that Night Market that came through? I saw this, and after you told me you were interested in them, I — well, I decided to get you one.”

“A — oh, f-for me?” Harvey stared blankly at the gift for a moment before he realized Freddy was holding it out to him. He quickly turned to set his coffee down and almost knocked the present out of Freddy’s hands in his haste to accept it. “Th-thank you. I — I don’t have anything for you, my...my gift was for Jodi —”

“That’s fine, like I said I just — saw this.” Freddy put his hands in his pockets, smiling almost sheepishly as he watched Harvey tug at the ribbon.

The wrapping paper came loose as Harvey delicately worked to open it, and he gasped when the gift was revealed. A box with a picture of a bi-plane on it, a retro model not unlike one he had painted red. Only this one was wooden, which was something he actually lacked in his current collection.

“It’s — you like putting them together, too, right?” Freddy asked, as if making sure Harvey’s silence wasn’t due to confusion or disliking the gift. “I saw the ones you had above your radio, and thought maybe you’d like this one. I know it’s a bit more old school, but it made me think of — of you.”

“I — I love putting them together,” Harvey finally answered. He raised his gaze to Freddy’s, staring in disbelief at such a perfect gift, a welcome surprise after sharing the hobby he rarely spoke of to anyone. “This is — this is maybe the best gift I’ve ever gotten.”

A beaming smile spread across Freddy’s face, the white of his teeth sparkling against the dark auburn beard he had grown since arriving that spring. His sea green eyes caught the twinkling of the decorations and the sunlight reflecting off the bright snow, so that Harvey felt blinded by him.

“I’m glad, I was worried you wouldn’t like it. I know it’s not as nice as the other ones you had,” Freddy confessed.

Speechless by the admission, Harvey simply stared at him a moment longer before he felt compelled forward. He slipped his arms around the soft corduroy of Freddy’s jacket, holding the box in one hand still as the other splayed on the farmer’s back to pull him closer. Freddy hardly hesitated before he returned the embrace, wrapping his much larger arms around Harvey’s shoulders, the muscles of his back flexing beneath Harvey’s hand with the movement.

He closed his eyes, face buried in the cozy crook of Freddy’s neck. When he inhaled he found the most wonderful scent clung to the farmer, warm and spicy in a way that reminded him of roasting chestnuts over a fire. It was comforting, helping him melt into Freddy’s arms for several long moments, just enjoying the sensation of contentment that flooded him.

“Thank you,” Harvey murmured. The breathy quality of his voice snapped him out of the peace with a sudden surge of panic, realizing how tightly he clung to the other man, of the soft sigh he had let out in response to the warmth that had enveloped him.

Releasing Freddy just as abruptly as he had hugged him, he stepped back and cleared his throat. “Uh — I — thank you, it’s — I should put it away, I’d hate for the cold to — to — to warp the wood.”

It was a flimsy excuse, but once it was out of his mouth he turned on his heel and scurried away, making a beeline for his clinic.

 _Oh no_ , he thought again. _I like him._


	5. Flowers

There was a pleasant scent of flowers and fresh grass in the air, and a soft humming nearby that soothed him as he looked over the forest clearing. The soft buzzing made him look to the side, watching as a fluffy bumblebee crawled into a tulip decorating one of the nearby barrels.

_Hopefully Freddy doesn’t see it…_

Harvey startled slightly at the thought as it flitted across his mind and the small smile that tugged at his lips as he stared absently at the fat bumblebee happily searching for pollen. He glanced around, hoping that no one took in the way his cheeks were heating, surely flushing in a way he couldn’t blame on the crisp air of spring.

Since the Feast of the Winter Star, Freddy had continued to stop by as he had before, though Harvey found himself more flustered than normal by these visits. One in particular had upset him to the point of panic, so that when Freddy had asked if he had worked on the model airplane at all he stuttered out a barely audible yes. Freddy had smiled and asked if he could see it, but Harvey had felt such a wave of anxiety that he blurted out that he needed to finalize medical reports and couldn’t show him.

The crestfallen look on Freddy’s face as he said he understood and left the clinic had tugged at Harvey’s heartstrings, but he wasn’t certain how he was supposed to feel.

That he liked the farmer was undeniable, that he both dreaded and looked forward to seeing him every day an absolute certainty that made his heart race. He valued their chats more than he felt he could adequately express, but his fear that he was the only one whose heart soared with affection every time they saw one another kept him rooted in place.

Harvey had never been a brave man, and the idea of even tentatively asking if this was only friendship was truly terrifying to him. Although whether it was fear of rejection or something more, he couldn’t tell.

Either way, it had made the last few weeks a mixture of longing, excitement, and pure, unadulterated anxiety that left his stomach in knots. He was a disaster, set into a tailspin of self-doubt and excitement merely at the sight of a simple bumblebee.

Glancing across at the other Flower Dance attendees, he cleared his throat and wondered if he should actually have a cup of the punch being served. He rarely partook, frequently wondering why he actually came to this festival at all, but as he thought it he caught sight of tanned skin and auburn hair across the crowd.

He was chatting with a surly-looking Shane, but glanced up and caught Harvey’s eye across the clearing. With a smile and hearty clap on Shane’s shoulder, he put his hands in his pockets and began to take long strides to close the distance.

His shirt was crisp white cotton, short-sleeved for a change, not tucked into the dark jeans he wore. A nice watch and braided leather bracelet caught Harvey’s eye, the casual look incredibly fitting on the beautiful spring day. As if Freddy had perfectly settled into the relaxingly slow pace of the town. When he came close enough, Harvey noticed the black lines on his bicep, the tattoo he had seen a hint of before when his sleeves had been rolled up.

Despite himself he let out a short bark of laughter, staring at the cartoonish, simple outline of a cat smiling at him from Freddy’s skin.

“Harvey?” Freddy asked, frowning slightly as he tilted his head to consider him.

“I’m — I’m sorry, just — what is that tattoo?” Harvey asked.

“Oh,” Freddy hummed, glancing down at his arm. He chuckled and dragged a hand through his hair. “It’s uh — it’s silly, but...When I was working for Joja in the city —”

“You were working for Joja?” Harvey interrupted, surprised it had never come up.

“Yeah, yeah I was. Had gotten a promotion, worked my way up, kept being told I was the future of the company, that sort of thing. It just all left me feeling...hollow.” Freddy paused and looked over the forest around them before he hesitantly shot a sidelong glance at Harvey. “I got this tattoo as something just for me, a little act of...I don’t know, rebellion? Attempt at non-conformity? No one could ever see it at work, but I knew it was there. Helped me through the days before I decided to leave.”

“Oh,” was all Harvey managed. He studied the tattoo for a moment longer, noticing the sheepish look that had come upon Freddy, and then he offered him a smile. “I like it, I’m sorry I was just surprised. So you...you like cats?”

“I do,” Freddy answered with a bright smile. “Marnie actually found one not long after I moved in, and I took her in. Named her Ginnie, if you — if you ever wanted to come by and meet her.”

“I — s-sure, I like cats,” Harvey agreed, nodding his head too enthusiastically.

A slightly awkward silence fell upon them, and Harvey felt his throat go dry at his crush’s proximity, again considering seeking out the punch Gus had made. Even if it would be a coward’s retreat.

“So, uh — are you going to dance? I — well, if you want to, I’d like to ask you to dance with me.” Freddy smiled after he said it, watching Harvey intently.

“Oh no,” Harvey muttered, more to himself than anything, and it took him a moment to realize he had said the words and not just thought them.

Freddy’s smile faded and he looked down at his feet, nodding vaguely. “Oh, I — yeah, I understand —”

“No, wait! I didn’t mean _no_ , no — I — um, I don’t know what I meant,” Harvey hurried to correct. He felt his cheeks heating, but at the confused look on Freddy’s face he managed to find his voice. “I’d — I’d love to dance with you.”

The radiant grin returned to Freddy’s face, and for a moment he simply held Harvey’s gaze before he nodded once. “Great, I — um, I think Lewis said they were starting soon,” he murmured.

Stepping closer, he casually rested a hand on Harvey’s lower back, seemingly unaware of the shiver that passed through him at the contact. The subtle weight guided him forward, and all he could focus on was the feeling as Freddy led him to the center of the clearing to join the others.

 

* * *

 

_Could he?_

It was a thought he hadn’t been able to get out of his mind since the Dance the day before, the way Freddy had smiled at him as they had performed the steps, the way he had stayed close and spent the rest of the festival at his side. The way he had walked him back to the clinic after, and said he’d see him tomorrow.

_Which is today._

“Doctor?”

“Hm?”

Harvey looked up to see Maru peeking into the exam room from its doorway, frowning at him.

“It’s time for me to go, do you need anything else?” she asked.

“No, no — thank you, Maru. Have a good evening.”

“Thanks, you too.”

He sighed and set aside the medical reports he definitely had not been able to focus on at all. Leaning back in his chair, he pushed his glasses up with his fingers and pinched his nose, wondering if perhaps a brisk walk would clear his mind.

Whatever was going on, he knew he was too much of a coward to ever address it. As before, in almost every relationship in his life, he’d likely sit back and let the moment pass him by. Staying friends wasn’t a bad option, really. After all he was too old, too cowardly, and he knew his attitude would easily be confused for disinterest.

He would have to accept that, if the idea of a confession gave him stomach pains and made his palms sweat.

The bell above the clinic door chimed, and Harvey frowned, wondering if it was Maru finally leaving. He realized he hadn’t noticed it after she had said goodbye, so perhaps it was just her. Pushing himself to his feet he decided to leave his reports for tomorrow, and perhaps go to the saloon.

“Harvey? Oh — hey.”

Harvey stopped dead in his tracks at the deep voice, raising his gaze to take in the sight of Freddy standing in the middle of the waiting room, smiling. It took him a moment longer to realize the farmer was loosely holding a beautifully arranged, yellow tissue paper-wrapped bouquet.

“H-hi, Freddy,” he greeted, trying to keep his voice straight and hating how thickly he swallowed in response to the other man’s unexpected presence.

“Are you busy?”

“No, no. Just finished up for the day,” Harvey assured him.

“Oh, good. Good day, I hope?”

“Yes, it was. Slower than flu season, but I shouldn’t complain, really. After all, I want healthy patients!” Harvey hurried to explain. But he chuckled, feeling as if a herd of elephants was making itself at home in his chest cavity. His eyes flicked to the flowers at the farmer’s side, but he dismissed any thought about them.

Just taking some back to his home, probably. Or maybe they were for someone else.

“Heh,” Freddy acknowledged, chuckling softly to himself.

“So, um — how’s the farm?”

“Doing well. Trying some rhubarb and strawberries this year, and my animals are doing really well.” Freddy nodded and looked around for a moment, and then held his fist up to his mouth as he cleared his throat. “Do you — do you have a moment? I don’t want to be a bother.”

“Of course,” Harvey answered immediately. Despite his resignation for how he knew things would go, he still enjoyed every moment spent in one another’s company.

Freddy beamed at him, shifting his weight between his feet. He finally lifted the flowers he held, and spent a few silent seconds considering them. “I, well,” he began slowly. “You see, I sort of realize you miss one hundred percent of the chances you don’t take, and so I try to take them when I see them. When I want them. So, I...here goes.”

Harvey felt rooted in place, staring wide-eyed and wholly unable to do anything but watch as Freddy took steps forward to close some distance between them. There was almost a ringing in his ears, and with a vague sense of panic he hoped he wouldn’t pass out.

_A chance at — what?_

“I — ha, I feel silly, I just felt like I needed to bring something. It’s been so long since I did this, but, um, yeah I wanted to give you something. And I’m sorry, but they’re from Pierre’s, I — I still haven’t been able to grow flowers on the farm,” Freddy explained, laughing softly at himself as he suddenly held out the bouquet to present it to Harvey.

“They’re — f-for me?”

“I really like you, Harvey,” Freddy confessed. “And I’m hoping — that is to say, I wanted to see if you feel the same, or if perhaps I’ve misunderstood. If you say no, I completely understand, I just — just like you. A lot. And wanted to know if you’d go out with me, sometime.”

He was still holding the flowers out before him, smiling tenderly as he waited for Harvey to speak.

However, he wasn’t certain how long he’d have to make him wait. No matter the fact that his heart was racing, Harvey almost felt as if he needed to ask for clarification. Surely he hadn’t heard him correctly, he must have misinterpreted —

“I know the saloon isn’t the most exciting place, but I was thinking maybe we could have a drink tomorrow?” Freddy suggested, peering intently at Harvey. “I’m — I’m sorry, did I make you uncomfortable?”

“N-no! I mean — no, you didn’t make me uncomfortable,” Harvey finally managed to blurt out. “I — you mean, like — like a date?”

He cringed and put his forehead in a hand, clenching his eyes shut at the way he had tripped over the question, and likely misinterpreted the intention, the way he’d probably just made things awkward.

“Harvey, yes. I mean a date,” Freddy murmured.

It surprised Harvey how close his voice sounded, and he raised his face to see Freddy standing just before him, peering down at him.

“I’m sorry, I feel like I’ve upset you.”

“No, I’m the furthest thing from upset,” Harvey confessed. He scoffed at himself and shook his head, looking down at his shoes, only to be met instead by the sight of the bouquet between them. “I didn’t think you could feel the same way.”

He wondered if he’d even said it loudly enough to be heard, but the words were out before he could second guess them.

Any doubt that he had been heard were removed when Freddy placed a knuckle beneath his chin, tilting it up so that he could meet his gaze. This close the sea green of his eyes had beautiful specks of blue and gold in them, and the corners crinkled as a smile slowly spread across his face.

“I do,” Freddy said softly. “Of course I do.”

The reassurance was so odd to Harvey, the certainty with which Freddy asserted it.

_Of course I do._

To Harvey, there hadn’t been any _of course_ about it, and now he stared up at the other man, absolutely speechless.

The rapid thudding of his heart only increased when Freddy began to lean forward slowly, as if waiting to see what Harvey’s reaction would be. But again he was frozen in place, wanting what was possibly about to happen but also terrified that it wasn’t really going to.

Heat and a soft tickling against his lips, strong arms coming around him, again erased the doubt he had been so certain of moments before. Freddy’s mouth was soft against his, and he held Harvey to him in such a tender yet firm way that he simply melted into the embrace. The kiss was slow, but there was a gentle intention to it as if Freddy was putting his words into action.

_Of course I do._

When Harvey’s lips parted instinctively, Freddy slanted his mouth to deepen the kiss, still cradling him close against his chest as he cupped one of his cheeks with a calloused hand.

A year ago he couldn’t have imagined the new arrival that had come with Spring would make him feel anything other than terror. Yet now, carefully ensconced in Freddy’s arms, he realized nothing else had ever felt more like home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for all the lovely comments! It's been so heartwarming to receive the squeals and excitement for updates, so thank you so much for reading and letting me know! <3
> 
> xx
> 
> P.S. Oh I forgot to add Freddy's tattoo inspo, so it can be found [here](https://cdn.clipart.email/405a7d5a1b3130d9b12abd972c3d1088_simple-cat-tattoos-google-search-cat-tattoos-pinterest-_453-604.jpeg).


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